Mechanical telephone



(No Model.) 2 Sheets8heen 1.

H. E. HUSTON.

MECHANICAL TELEPHONE.

.No. 285,269. W Patented Sept. 18, 1883.

ATTORNEYS.

n. PEYERS. Phnbbiw WM :1 c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheen 2.

H. E. HUSTON. MECHANICAL TELEPHONE.

No. 285,269. Patented Sept. 18, 1883.

wrmnslsjg INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

PETERS. mo-mmnwr. wuhin oon. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY HUSTON, OF MONTIGELLO, ILLINOIS.

MECHANICAL TELEPHONE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,269, dated September 18, 1883,

Application filed January 19. 1583.

T0 aZZ whom it may saucer/1,.-

Be it known that I, HARVEY E. HUSTON, of Monticello, in the county of Piatt and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Mechanical Telephone, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide certain new and useful improvements in the construction of mechanical telephones, the conductors, and the devices for holding the conductors, whereby the vibrations of the diaphragm and the wires will beaugmented in intensity, and the sounds will be reproduced more clearly, and all extraneous sounds will be eliminated from the conducting-wire.

The invention consists in a diaphragm of a mechanical telephone, formed with one or more layers of metal and one or more layers of rubber or fibrous material.

The invention further consists in atransmittor for mechanical telephones, eonstru eted with. a mouthpiece held above or in front of the transmitter for the purpose of causing the sounds to act directly and without obstruction on the diaphragm.

The invention further consists in a transmit ting-wire for mechanical telephones, formed of a metal wire surrounded by or interwoven with a strip of rubber or fabric.-

The invention further consists in an insulator and support for the transmitting-wires of a mechani cal telephone, formed of a wire adapted to hold the transmitting-wire and secured to a block made of material that will not transmit the vibrations, which block is secured to the post or pole, or to another strip being held on the same, whereby it will prevent the vibrations of the wire from being transmitted to the post or sounds from the post or support from being transmitted to the conducting-wire.

The invention also consists in various parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described and set forth hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specifi cation, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the diaphragm of my improved mechanical-telephone transmitter. Fig. 2 is a (X0 model.)

cross sectional elevation of the transmitter. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4 isa longitudinal elevation of my improved transmitting-wire. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal elevation of a modification of the same. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of my improved support or insulator for the wires of mechanical telephones. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a detail part of the same. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modification of my improved transmitter for mechanical telephones. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 10 is a cross-see tional elevation of the same. Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail crosssectional view of the lower part of the same. Fig. 12 is a modifi- 'cation of Fig. 6.

The diaphragm A is composed of two outer layers, a, of metal, and an intermediate layer, 1), of cloth, rubber, or other pliable or fibrous material, which is placed bet-ween the two sheets of metal a, and preferably cemented to both. A button, 0, rests upon the inner layer, and to the same the transmit-ting-wire Bis fastened in the usual manner. I find that by constructing the diaphragm in the abovedescribed manner the vibrations will be augmented in intensity, as the diaphragm then acts in a mannersomething like atuning-fork.

The diaphragm A is attached to a cup, 0, and a funnel-shaped mouth-piece, D, is held above the button 0 by cross-pieces D,attached to supports E, resting on the plate F. The front of the diaphragm will remain unobstruct ed, and the words,when spokemwill be deliv- 8 5 ered with great force on the diaphragm, and when words are received there will be little obstruction to their passage from the diaphragm to the ear, and the sounds transmitted can be heard very distinctly and clearly.

The improved transmitting wire which I have shown in Figs. 4t and 5 consists of a wire, G, around which one or more strips or strands of rubber or fabric or cord, 11, is wound spirally; or it can consist of one or more wires which are interwoven or plaited with one or more strips or strands of rubber or fabric or a cord. The strip of rubber or fabric acts as-a damper on the wire G and prevents vibrations of the same, caused by wind or other extraneous causes, and at the same time the strip of rubher or fabric H does not interfere with the driven into apertures at the ends of the strip J, and to the said plugs wires 0 are attached, to the opposite ends of which open rings P are secured, through which the transmittingwire B passes. The rings are constructed with an opening to facilitate passing the wire B into the ring through the said openings. Wires or cords Q are attached to the rings P and extend downward to a staple, R, driven into the post K, and serve as guys to the conducting-wire B. The plugs M are made of rubber, cork, or other like material which is not apt to transmit vibrations, so that the vibrations of the wire 'B will not be transmitted to the post K, nor vibrations fromthe post K to the wire B. The plugs M to which the wires 0 are fastened have their thicker ends on the innerlongitudinal side of the strip J, and the plugs M to which the wire L is fastened have their thick ends on the outer longitudinal side of the strip J, whereby, by the strain and the tension on the said wires, the said plugs will be drawn firmly into without being pulled through their apertures .in the strip J. The wire B can be supported directly from the post K by means of the ring 1 and the wire 0, which is also attached to a truncated coneshaped plug, M, secured in the post K.

Iwill now proceed to describe the improved transmitter shown in Figs. 8 to 11., inclusive.

A thin piece, S, of pine or other suitable wood, made about half an inch in thickness, is provided with a central aperture, S, through which the line-wire B passes, which is attached to a button, 0, resting on and secured to the bottom T of a cup-shaped vessel or pan, T, which rests on a piece of cloth, rubber, or other fabric, V, placed on the upper side of the board S. The pan or cup T is se cured on the board S by means of nails or screws h, passed through the bottom of the pan and the rubber plate V into the board S.

' The effect of this arrangement is that the Lil ' places where there is much noise.

sound is very much amplified, 011 the principle of a musical instrument, as the vibratingsurface is material y increased. A tapering box, WV, which has its base or wider end se cured on the upper surface of they board S, and is provided in the upper edge of one of its sides with a recess, Y, is to be used in The person using the instrument inserts his head un' til the ears are at least between the sides of the box, the chin and lower part of the face passing into the recess Y. The sounds are thus received evenly from all sides by the ear of the listener, and are thereby considerably augmented, and 'as the vibrating-surface of the transmitter or receiver is materially increased the sounds will be augmented. The sides of the box ward off from the ear of the listener, to a certain extent, any noises that may be made near him. Care should be taken not to have the pan T come in contact with the sides of the box. The board S is secured to awall, bracket, or a post by means of the screws X.

' Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. A diaphragm for mechanical telephones, constructed, essentially as herein shown. and

described, of layers of fabric and metal, the fabric being interposed between the metal, as

and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a transmitter for mechanical telephones, the combination, with the diaphragm A, of the cup 0 and the funnel-shaped mouthpiece D, held by the cross-pieces D, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth. I

3. A transmitting-wire for mechanical telephones, made substantially as herein shown and described, and consisting of one or more wires interwoven with or surrounded by one or more strips of rubber or fabric, as set forth.

4. The combination, with a transmittingwire for mechanical telephones, of a strip of rubber or fabric wound spirally around the same, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

5. The herein-described device'for support ing and insulating the transmitting-wires of mechanical telephones, consisting of a wire with a ring attached to one end, and a plug of some material that will not transmit vibrasupport being connected to the telegraph post or pole, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the post K, of the strip J, held. to the same, the plugs M, the wires 0, and the rings 1, through which the transmitting-wire B of a mechanical telephone passes, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a transmitter for a mechanical telephone, the combination, with the board S, of the pan or bowl T, secured to the bottom of the same, the layer V, of cloth, rubber or other fabric, placed between the board S and the bottom of the bowl T, and of the transmittingwire B, attached to the bottom of the pan or bowl, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a transmitter for mechanical telephones, the combination, with. the board S, of the pan or bowl T, the layer V, of cloth, rubber, or other fabric, placed between the bottom of the pan and the board S, the nails or screws H, passing through the bottom of the 10. The coinl'rination, with the post K, of the pan and the layer V into the board S, and the strip J, held to the same by the wire L, passed transmitting-wire B, attached to the bottom of through a staple, N, on the post, and secured 15 the pan T, substantially as herein shown and to plugs M in the strip J, the wires 0, the 5 described, and for the purpose set forth. 1 rings P, the plugs M, to which the wires 0 9. The combination, with the post K, of the i are fastened, and the guys or braces Q, sub strip J, held to the same by the wire L, fast stantially as herein shown and described, and ened to it staple, N, on the post, and secured for the purpose set forth.

to plugs M on the strip J, the wires 0, the HARVEY E. HUSTOX. 1o rings I, and the plugs M, to which the wires \Vitnesses:

O are fastened, substantially as herein. shown WILLIAM E. SMITH,

and described, and for the purpose set forth. lVILLL-UI T. FOSTER. 

